Author: Ben

Performer, writer, educator, game designer, ginger.

Eleven/Future

It’s the big one! Our actually-released-on-the-anniversary spectacular features hosts Ben McKenzie, John Richards and Petra Elliott discussing Matt Smith, the future, and plenty of other Doctor Who goodness with guests Stella Young and Justin Hamilton, plus music by house band The Time Lads and an original song by guest musical superstar, Casey Bennetto. Yes, our year nears its end with this, the final Doctor/Theme episode of Splendid Chaps, recorded at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne on November 21, 2013.

Big thanks to John, Petra and David for all the hard work they’ve done on post-production getting this massive episode ready in just two days!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:24:12 — 38.6MB)

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Don’t forget you can go into the draw to win the complete box set of season seven of Doctor Who (Matt Smith’s last! *sob*) on DVD, courtesy of our friends at BBC on DVD! To enter the draw, just comment on this episode at splendidchaps.com. How do you feel about Matt Smith? Does he make a good introductory Doctor? Do you love him but dislike his era, or do you think the Grand Moffat is the best thing to happen to Doctor Who in years? And what about the future in – and of – Doctor Who? Comment by December 14 to be in the running, and we’ll announce the winner at the recording of our Christmas Special on December 15.

The Eleven/Future viewing list

One again we’ve been so busy we almost forgot to deliver a text version of the viewing list! You still have four days until Eleven/Future, though, so here’s your homework viewing for the last of our regular Doctor/Theme episodes, which will be recorded on November 21st at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) in Melbourne (full show details here). Also, a quick reminder that this show is sold out – sorry if you didn’t manage to get a ticket! But it will be released, by hook or by crook, on the Day of the Doctor, November 23! (Good luck John!)

Your homework viewing for Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor is:

  • The Eleventh Hour
  • Vincent and the Doctor
  • The Girl Who Waited

If you’ve never seen Matt Smith’s Doctor before, we realise you might miss a few things, but don’t worry – these episodes mostly work on their own!

To experience THE FUTURE! as envisioned by Doctor Who, we suggest:

  • The Enemy of the World (Patrick Troughton, 1967-68; six episodes)[ref]Note The Enemy of the World is currently only available via iTunes[/ref]
  • Day of the Daleks (Jon Pertwee, 1972, four episodes)
  • Frontios (Peter Davison, 1984; four episodes)
  • The End of the World (Christopher Eccleston, 2005; one episode)
  • Utopia (David Tennant, 2007, one episode)

There are plenty of others, of course, including The Tenth Planet, Invasion, arguably the entire UNIT era[ref]As previously stated, Splendid Chaps policy is to not engage in discussions of the UNIT dating controversy.[/ref], most of Tom Baker’s first season – The Ark in Space, The Sontaran Experiment and Revenge of the Cybermen – The Robots of Death, The Invisible Enemy, Kinda, Snakedance, Terminus, Vengeance on Varos, The Mysterious Planet and Terror of the Vervoids (from Trial of a Time Lord), Paradise Towers, Dragonfire, The Happiness Patrol, Battlefield, Survival, Dalek, Fear Her, The Beast Below and The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood. 

But we’re sure you have your own suggestions – so let us know in the comments!

The Splendid Chaps Christmas Special (live show)

Yes, it’s the end…but the moment has been prepared for!

All right, we know we’ve said that before. But now, after eleventy episodes of Doctor Who discussion covering the Doctor, his friends and enemies, and topics ranging from clothes to evil to comedy, it’s time to bid farewell to hosts Ben McKenzie, John Richards and Petra Elliot (and our invisible fourth chap, sound engineer David Ashton). To see out this year of Doctor Who, the chaps look at all the Time Lord goodness that didn’t fit into the rest of the year, including not-quite-Doctors Peter Cushing and Richard E Grant, spin-offs The Sarah Jane Adventures and K9 & Company, and much much more.

There’ll be special guests both new and old, including Cyberman designer Alexandra Tynan, comedian Adam Richard, technoevangelist Fee Plumley, academic Dr Djoymi Baker, comedian and quiz master Janet A McLeod, writer and Bazura Project guy Lee Zachariah, journalist Myke Bartlett, film reviewer Thomas Caldwell and maybe even one or two more! Plus songs from house band The Time Lads, a Christmas Dalek, and a special Christmas lucky dip of Doctor Who prizes, with all lucky dip proceeds donated to two very Doctorish charities: the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) and Medecins San Frontières (MSF).

We’d love to see you one last time!

Space: The Bella Union, upstairs, Melbourne Trades Hall, corner of Lygon and Victoria Streets, Melbourne
Time: Sunday, December 15; doors open from 4:30 PM
Accessibility: This venue is wheelchair accessible; please contact the venue for lift access.
Tickets: $20 (including booking fee)
Bookings: via bellaunion.com.au online, or at the ACMI box office (subject to availability)
Podcast: “The Splendid Chaps Christmas Special” released 23rd of December, 2013.

The month of the Doctor

Our main series show for November, Eleven/Future, sold out last week! But don’t despair, Melbourne fans – in this month of the Doctor (in this year of Luigi) there are still two shows coming your way before Splendid Chaps is done – plus our farewell Christmas show, and the Pozible-funded Sydney show as well!

Here’s where you can find us in Melbourne this month and next:

  • At Toorak/South Yarra Library on Saturday, November 16, we discuss What I Learned From Doctor Who with comedian Rob Lloyd (Who, Me.) and writer Liz Barr (Chicks Dig Time Lords), plus we’ll have a live poetry performance from Emilie Zoey Baker! Show starts at 4 PM; all tickets $10. Book here.
  • At the Melbourne City Library on Tuesday, November 19, we give the Doctor’s friends their time to shine for The Other Splendid Chaps: The Companions! We’ll be joined by TV director and comic book writer Lucas Testro, and 3RRR broadcaster and podcaster Marian Blythe, plus have a musical performance from Emma Heeney! Show starts at 6:30 PM; this show is free! But book here to make sure you get a seat.
  • Finally, at the Bella Union on Sunday, December 15, we say farewell with the Splendid Chaps Christmas Special! It’ll be a cavalcade of guests, songs and even a Christmas lucky dip, with a discussion of the Doctors and spin-offs we just couldn’t fit in otherwise: Peter Cushing, Richard E Grant, John Hurt, K-9 and Company… Show starts at 5 PM; all tickets $20, and on sale soon (we’ll announce more details when tickets are available).

Spoilers and Surprises

Surprise! It’s a bonus episode of Splendid Chaps all about spoilers and surprises in Doctor Who! (We bet you thought we’d forgotten about this one! But with the surprise early release of the Day of the Doctor trailer, it seemed like the right time.) It was recorded on Sunday, June 8, 2013 at Continuum 9: Contraindicators, the ninth annual Melbourne speculative fiction and pop culture fan convention.

John, Ben and Petra are joined by special guests, author and blogger George Ivanoff (the Gamers series, Life, Death and Detention) and author and podcaster Kirstyn McDermott (Madigan Mine, Perfections, Caution: Contains Small Parts, The Writer and the Critic). Plus a special performance of LINDA’s favourite ELO song from Petra and Caleb Garfinkel!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 59:34 — 27.3MB)

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The Not-So-Splendid Chaps: Monsters and Villains (live show)

Splendid Chaps is a year-long celebration of Doctor Who‘s fiftieth anniversary: eleven live performances recorded as podcasts in which your brains will be fed, your funny bones tickled, and your hearts opened (yes, both of them!).

Let’s not pretend: there are many more than eleven episodes, and this one – our second last live show for the year – is the main result of our successful Pozible campaign to take a show up north! Thanks to the generous support of our listeners in Sydney and beyond, the Splendid Chaps are hitting the road and materialising in Glebe to stop talking about our heroes and instead think about those not-so-splendid chaps (and, er…things?), the monsters and villains of Doctor Who!

Daleks, Sontarans, Cybermen, the Silence, Silurians, Quarks… The Doctor’s monsters sometimes seem to be physical manifestations of humanity’s fears. Is it the creatures we find so terrifying, or what they represent – and what do they represent? We celebrate the baddest of the bad, as well as those whose galactic domination has been less than completely successful.

Then there are the less literal, more human monsters: the Master, Davros, Lady Cassandra… Are they all thoroughly evil, or do they have more subtle motivations? What makes a good Doctor Who villain tick? Are they better than inhuman monsters, or is it best when they work hand in hand? They’re often some of the best fun to be had in a story, so let’s embrace the dark side!

Ben, John and Petra will be joined by writer and comedian Alice Fraser (FBi Radio, NewsLab), broadcaster, social media producer and ex-Rage programmer Maddie Palmer, and actor and presenter Steven “Bajo” O’Donnell (ABC2’s Good Game, ABC3’s Good Game: Spawn Point) to talk about the people and things we love to hate. Plus prizes, surprises, loveliness and a live musical performance of a lost Doctor Who classic tune from Keira “LadyNerd” Daley and Catriona Wimberley!

Space: upstairs, The Roxbury Hotel, 182 St Johns Road, Glebe, Sydney
Time: Saturday, November 30, 5:00 PM
Accessibility: We regret that this venue is not wheelchair accessible.
Tickets: $25
Bookings: via trybooking.com or at the door (if seats available)
Podcast: “The Not-So-Splendid Chaps: Monsters and Villains”, released 11th December, 2013.

We’re going beyond Eleven!

Splendid Chaps started as a series of eleven live podcasts from January to November, celebrating each of the eleven Doctors. But we’ve managed to slip in a few extras here and there – and with your help, we’re making a couple more! On November 30, we’ll produce a live Splendid Chaps show in Sydney, thanks to the pledges made in our Pozible crowdfunding campaign! In return, our supporters score tickets to the show and other rewards, including badges, posters, T-shirts, a special message from the Chaps, picking the topics in an additional “By Request” show (yes, a successful campaign means two extra episodes!), and more! We’ve reached the goal, but we’ll be selling tickets for the remaining seats in the venue online soon.

Ten/Sex

Sit down for this one, ‘cos you’re gonna get hot under the collar as hosts Ben McKenzie, John Richards and Petra Elliott discuss David Tennant and sex in Doctor Who with guests Aimee Nichols and Richard Watts in our tenth (ish) live Splendid Chaps episode, recorded at the Gasometer Hotel in Melbourne on October 13, 2013. Plus there are prizes, another deluge of audience questions, and Melbourne geek rock band Blue Turtle Shell marry our two topics in song! This one isn’t very sweary – but it does get a little risqué. What can we say? It does what it says on the tin.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:29:45 — 41.2MB)

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Don’t forget you can go into the draw to win season four of modern Doctor Who on DVD (the Tenth Doctor and Donna season), courtesy of our friends at BBC on DVD! To enter the draw, just comment on this episode at splendidchaps.com. Do you think David Tennant is sexy? Is he your favourite Doctor? Do you find him smug or charming – or both? Are sex and relationships okay in Doctor Who, or do they weird you out? And who else in Doctor Who was clearly doing it, right under our noses? Comment by November 20 to be in the running, and we’ll announce the winner at the recording of Eleven/Future on November 21.

The Other Splendid Chaps: The Companions (live show)

Splendid Chaps is a year-long celebration of Doctor Who‘s fiftieth anniversary: eleven live performances recorded as podcasts in which your brains will be fed, your funny bones tickled, and your hearts opened (yes, both of them!).

Having smashed through the eleven episode barrier months ago, the Splendid Chaps are back with another bonus episode, this time at the Melbourne City Library as part of their Doctor Who Festival! We’ve spent eleven episodes talking about the Doctor; now it’s time to talk about those other splendid chaps – the companions!

Companion, assistant, sidekick…none of these names really do the role of TARDIS occupant and time-space adventurer justice. In fifty years the Doctor has had almost as many fellow travellers aboard the TARDIS – most human, but also a few robots, aliens and fellow Time Lords. Exactly who counts varies depends on who you ask, but they’ve always been understood to be our point-of-view character; a proxy for the audience who will ask the Doctor to explain what on (or off) Earth is going on. Who are these people? What do they teach us about ourselves, the Doctor, and our changing society? Are they really there to get in trouble, pass the Zeus plugs and make the Doctor a better person, or is there more to them than meets the eye? And how different is the new series’ attitude to its supporting characters?

Ben, John and Petra will be joined by writer, director and podcaster Lucas Testro (Neighbours, Winners and Losers, NonCanonical), and broadcaster, documentary maker and podcaster Marian Blythe (3RRR, Boxcutters 2.0) to talk about the rest of the TARDIS crew. Plus prizes, surprises, loveliness and a live musical performance of a lost Doctor Who classic tune from Emma Heeney!

Space: Melbourne City Library, 253 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Time: Tuesday, November 19, 6:30 PM
Accessibility: This venue is wheelchair accessible.
Tickets: Free! (bookings essential; limited seats available)
Bookings: via webwiredsolutions.com.au or at the door (if seats available)
Podcast: “The Other Splendid Chaps: The Companions”, released 23 January, 2014.

Eleven/Future (live show)

The Doctor, the lonely god, last of the Time Lords, comes face to face with his own people and their most evil son, the Master, but manages to avert their disastrous return, seemingly avoiding his foretold death. But Wilf, an ordinary old man present for the final battle, taps on the radiation-filled booth in which he is trapped – fulfilling the prophecy that “he will knock four times”. The Doctor grudgingly saves Wilf, absorbing the fatal radiation, and leaves for a “victory lap” around the Universe, waving a silent goodbye to old friends. Having held back death for so long, his regeneration is explosive, severely damaging the TARDIS and sending it hurtling towards Earth. The new Doctor is youthful, eccentric, enthusiastic and affectionate, but rather more alien than his predecessor, out of touch with human culture and at times feeling all of his 900 plus years. He forms a bond with a young Scottish girl, Amelia Pond, and accidentally binds their entire lives together. 

Splendid Chaps is a year-long celebration of Doctor Who‘s fiftieth anniversary: eleven live performances recorded as podcasts in which your brains will be fed, your funny bones tickled, and your hearts opened (yes, both of them!). Our eleventh and final(ish) major episode brings us to the (still) current Doctor, Matt Smith. Splitting fan opinion on his announcement, in part because of his youth and obscurity, he soon won over audiences with a performance influenced by Patrick Troughton. This was also the biggest time of change in the revived show’s history, with not only a new Doctor, but a new production team, headed by fan favourite writer Steven Moffat, bringing a definite new feel to the show.

As Splendid Chaps draws to a close, we want to look forward as well as back, and so we take as our theme the future. The Doctor in the old series and the new has often looked forward in time, whether a few decades, a few centuries, or even millions or billions of years. How has the show depicted the future? Has it tried to be predictive, or to express our hopes and fears? And what of the future of the show itself? With Matt Smith leaving, and Moffat’s time surely also coming to an end, what does the future have in store for Doctor Who?

Hosts Ben McKenzie, John Richards and Petra Elliott are joined by comedians Justin Hamilton and Stella Young, plus a new song from Keating! composer Casey Bennetto, backed by our house band The Time Lads. Plus there will of course be prizes, surprises, jokes and more; it’s the end, but the moment has been prepared for! (We have a little something extra up our sleeves…)

Space: ACMI, Federation Square, Melbourne
Time: Thursday, November 21; recording starts 7 PM
Accessibility: This venue is wheelchair accessible.
Tickets: $15 full, $12 concession, $11 ACMI members (plus booking fee where applicable)
Bookings: via ACMI online, or at the ACMI box office (subject to availability)
Podcast: “Eleven/Future”, released 23rd of November, 2013.